Parents march on National Assembly for 110 abducted girls

Parents of some of the

The distressed parents marched in company of Coalition of Civil Society for the Girl Child and Women, wearing black shirts with inscription, "We are Dapchi People".

The march was planned around the celebration of International Women's Day on Thursday, and the demonstrators urged the lawmakers to investigate the abduction of the students, and take steps towards safeguarding the girl child in Nigeria.

45-year-old Yahaya Tarbutu, one of the parents of two of the abducted girls, expressed his pain at the abduction and told the government to do more to get the girls back.

He said, "Each time my wife looks upon the bed our daughters lie at night, she breaks down in tears and weep profusely. Nobody in my entire household has experienced joy since the girls went missing. Happiness has deserted my home.

"Today makes it 17 days that our daughters have been taken away from us in Dapchi, and we do not know how many days more they will be spending in captivity.

"We are not here to condemn the Federal Government and our security agencies, but to tell them that they need to do more to make sure our daughters are released."

Speaking on behalf of Coalition of Civil Society for the Girl Child and Women, Ariyo Dare-Atoye said Nigerian leaders need to do more to protect women in the country.

He said, "We are asking the National Assembly, to show leadership by urgently convening a special stake holders summit to address the plight of women and the girl child, mostly in zones and areas prone to attacks.

"The National Assembly is also urged to conduct a powerful investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding how over a hundred girls were kidnapped without them being spotted or meeting any security check points.

"We have decided to use the occasion of the 2018 International Women's Day to further call for national reawakening and global action in support of the girl child and women in Nigeria."

Attack on all-girls school

Boko Haram militants invaded Government Girls Science and Technical Secondary School in Dapchi, Bursari local government area of Yobe on Monday, February 19, 2018, and abducted 110 schoolgirls.

According to accounts by residents, the terrorists invaded the town around 7 pm in over 18 gun trucks mounted with high caliber weapons.

Their loud shooting alerted residents, school students and staff who ran to seek cover in the surrounding bushes.